The 3Es
Ian McNiff

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Setting the context
On a recent visit to a school I was drawn into a conversation with Tom, an animated Year 4 pupil who seemed, on the surface, to be concerned with avoiding the task in hand. When discussion turned to the work in his exercise book, he rather defensively declared that his handwriting was 'rubbish' because he was 'no good at writing'. On closer analysis of his work it was apparent that Tom had extended vocabulary and the capacity for pertinent and well constructed sentences despite there being comparatively little text.

When asked why he thought he was 'no good', he referred to his inability to get his ideas down in nice neat sentences.

After a very brief discussion about JK Rowling's handwriting, Tom observed that he didn't know what her handwriting was like but declared she was a good writer. I pointed out that he was a very good writer in the same way, on account of the words he chose, his imagination and the turn of phrase he employed. Twenty minutes later Tom sidled up to me with 3 pages of perfectly legible and inspiring creative writing, having apparently written more and of a higher quality than he had written in his whole school career.

Specific subject skills
Allowing pupils to focus or dwell on aspects of a subject in which they find achievement difficult can cause them to dismiss the subject completely or at least diminish their capacity to engage and achieve in it.

Pupils benefit from a clear demonstration that there are a variety of ways of being good at a particular subject. It is not always necessary to be a fast runner to be a good footballer or to read music to be an inspirational musician. Gifted sports people and musicians or people with a talent in any area are not a homogeneous group. A striker and a goalkeeper in a football team may both be considered gifted footballers but they possess completely different skill sets.

Similarly in academic subjects the different pathways in which pupils can express their talents should be very apparent and valued. Conversely, a pupil who does not master one particular aspect of a subject should be guided and encouraged to identify different aspects of the subject in which they can express ability. For a pupil it is not always helpful to declare that someone is 'good at maths' or 'good at English' without identifying the particular skill or knowledge set that lies behind the statement. Certainly it would be a loss if the whole subject was dismissed because of difficulty in one area of it.

The twin focus on what a pupil can do and identification of the specific skills pertinent to the subject being taught enables the pupil to take control of their own learning and improve progress.

Different approaches to subject teaching often highlight abilities in pupils that have previously been masked. This can be particularly apparent on themed days for subjects when a different set of pupils than is usual is reported as having reached a particularly high standard.

There is a need to ensure that pupils have access to the complete range of skills and aspects that relate to a particular subject, underpinned by a clear and cohesive approach to teaching and learning.

The 3Es: engage, explore, express
This clear and cohesive approach to teaching and learning has proved particularly successful in schools when the learning process for the pupil is clearly identifiable.

Schools that have used an engage, explore, express approach (it may have a different name in different schools but the principles remain the same) have achieved success in both raising standards and improving pupil engagement and participation.

The process is not a prescriptive one which requires a particular, step by step approach but a means by which teachers can ensure all aspects of the learning cycle are covered.

• It is possible to present pupils with information or subject matter in a way which prevents them from knowing or understanding what the material is about. The need to engage and enthuse is a necessary first step which can set the tone for future learning experiences in the particular subject being studied.
  
  Such engagement can be achieved in a variety of different ways including the use of art or pictorial representation, role play, hot seating, videos and presentation of scenarios. Key to this engagement are who, what, where and when questions with opportunities for focused pupil discussion in pairs, groups and across the class.
  
  
• The explore process is key to unlocking the meaning of a particular concept and is underpinned by the why question. Thinking skills can be a really useful tool in enabling pupils to organise their thoughts and compare and contrast different viewpoints or concepts.
  
  
• In expressing their learning pupils are encouraged to respond to the how questions, as well as expressing their understanding in context. Pupils need to understand the impact and purpose of learning before moving on to how it applies to them. Writing job descriptions, letters and creating adverts are some of the many ways in which pupils can express their understanding. For example, in science, writing a job description for the root of a plant can prove more effective in testing understanding than other forms of testing.
  
  The express activity can be adapted to suit the particular strength of the learner, with an emphasis on understanding the concept.

Why the 3Es?
Clear and specific approaches to learning, with full engagement of the learner at each stage of the learning process, will enable pupils to identify their specific learning strengths. Equally, they gain confidence, articulate their understanding and apply their learning in a range of different contexts.

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